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Caracas, October 3rd 2011 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – Speaking to Venezuelan health minister Eugenia Sader this Sunday, president Hugo Chávez confirmed that creating a “totally free and quality” national health service was a current priority for the revolutionary government.

Chavez made the comments during a televised phone call to Sader, who was touring the Candelaria Garcia maternity hospital in Carúpano in celebration of the centre’s first anniversary.

“We have to accomplish our goals and quicken our pace, so that every state, city and town has that kind of national public healthcare system, high quality and totally free for all our people,” stated Chávez.

The Venezuelan mandate also commented that the government’s attempt to provide a free and comprehensive healthcare system was for the “lives” and “happiness” of the Venezuelan people.

“This is what the socialist motherland is about,” added the president.

Based in the Venezuelan state of Sucre, the maternity hospital forms part of the government’s Baby Jesus mission. Launched in 2009, the mission focuses exclusively on the health of pregnant women and newborn babies, and guarantees Venezuelan women the right to a dignified birth.

In the past year, the hospital has delivered over 5,500 newborns and attended to over 11,000 women, confirmed hospital Director, Hanoi Yanez.

“We are trying to humanise that beautiful moment of giving birth, we are trying to give Venezuelan women what they deserve,” said Yanez to the president.

During the telephone conversation, Chávez also congratulated the new mothers on the births of their children and thanked staff at the hospital for their dedication to providing a national service.

“He who abandons everything in order to be of use to his country loses nothing, and wins what he has devoted himself to,” said Chávez, quoting the Liberator of Venezuela, Simón Bolivar.

Early last month, the Venezuelan government announced that it would be expanding the national health service by constructing over 1,200 public healthcare projects throughout the country.

Following Sader’s visit to the maternity hospital, the government also opened two new neo-natal units at the centre, specialising in intensive and intermediate care.